One "insider" said this of the devastated Lea Michele: "She's furious one minute and wracked with guilt the next. I think she's wondering how she'll ever get over his death -- and if that's even possible." As someone seven months ahead of Lea in the grieving process, I think I know the answer to that question ...

It is and is not possible: Lea will, and will never, get over Cory's death. Both of those things can be true, even though they directly contradict each other. She will continue on with her life, eventually, but it will never be the same -- and, speaking from experience, when you love and lose someone like that, you wouldn't want it any other way.

The thing about grief is that not only does everyone experience it differently, but the same person can experience it differently from day to day -- or even from moment to moment. When my sister died last winter, I couldn't believe the round-robin of emotions I found myself on. One moment I was sobbing, then a little while later, I'd be laughing hysterically over some morbid joke, and then a little while later, I'd be flat in bed, feeling physically unable to move beneath the oppressive weight of my sorrow.

I appreciated SO MUCH that friends and loved ones far and wide reached out to me and my devastated mom, but I wasn't able to call them back right away -- sometimes it took too much energy to even listen to a voicemail. But then other days we wanted company; we needed people around us to talk and laugh and share memories. I imagine the same will be for Lea, once she gets through these first few weeks that must seem to her impossible to get through.

And soon, Lea will be doing another thing that probably seems impossible to her right now: She'll be back to work on the set of Glee when it starts production again. Sadly, I know too well how hard this will be not just for Lea, but for everyone else who worked with and loved Cory. But it will also be good and healing for them, to carry on with the work they love, with the show that will always have Cory at its heart.